National Register of Historic Places listings in Union County, New Jersey facts for kids

Location of Union County in New Jersey

Union County, New Jersey, is home to many amazing historic places! These special spots are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This is like a national honor roll for buildings, sites, and districts that are important to American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, or culture. When a place is on this list, it means it's worth protecting and learning about.

Let's explore some of these cool historic places in Union County!

Historic Homes and Buildings
Historic Churches and Cemeteries
Parks and Recreation
Transportation and Commercial Sites
Feltville Historic District
Images for kids

Historic Homes and Buildings

Union County has many old houses and buildings that tell stories from the past.

Elizabeth's Historic Gems

The city of Elizabeth has several very old and important buildings:

Belcher-Ogden Mansion-Price, Benjamin-Price-Brittan Houses District: This area includes several historic homes. One of them is the Belcher-Ogden House, a beautiful old mansion.
Boxwood Hall: This house is super important! It was once home to Elias Boudinot, who was president of the Continental Congress. George Washington even visited here! It's a National Historic Landmark, which is an even higher honor than being on the National Register.
Charles N. Fowler House: This grand house was built for Charles N. Fowler, a U.S. Congressman.
St. John's Parsonage: This old parsonage (a house for a minister) is also a protected historic site.
Whyman House: Another historic house in Elizabeth that has been preserved.

Plainfield's Architectural Wonders

Plainfield is known for its beautiful architecture and has several districts and individual buildings on the list:

All Souls Church: A lovely church building with interesting architecture.
Crescent Area Historic District: This district includes many beautiful old homes and buildings.
Nathaniel Drake House: This house played a role during the American Revolutionary War. It's now a museum!
Firehouse No. 4: Even old fire stations can be historic! This one shows how fire departments used to look.
Grace Episcopal Church: A beautiful church building that is recognized for its historical value.
Hillside Avenue Historic District: A neighborhood filled with historic homes.
Plainfield Central Fire Headquarters: The main fire station, also a historic building.
Plainfield Civic District: This area includes important public buildings.
Saint Mary's Catholic Church Complex: A significant church and its related buildings.
George A. Strong House: This historic house is now home to the duCret School of Art.
Van Wyck Brooks Historic District: Another historic neighborhood in Plainfield.
Waring T. Orville House: A unique house, sometimes called "Antique Castle."
Young Women's Christian Association of Plainfield and North Plainfield: The YWCA building is recognized for its history.

Other Notable Homes

Badgley House and Site (Mountainside): Sadly, this historic house was destroyed by fire in 1984, but its site is still recognized.
Caldwell Parsonage (Union): This parsonage was home to Reverend James Caldwell, a hero of the American Revolution.
Crane-Phillips House (Cranford): A historic house in Cranford.
John De Camp House (Scotch Plains): An old house with a long history.
Elizabeth and Gershom Frazee House (Scotch Plains): This house has a unique story from the Revolutionary War.
Deacon Andrew Hetfield House (Mountainside): A preserved historic home.
Homestead Farm at Oak Ridge (Clark): An old farm that shows how people lived long ago.
Hutchings Homestead (Springfield): A historic farmstead.
Littel-Lord Farmstead (Berkeley Heights): Another historic farm that gives us a peek into the past.
Miller-Cory House (Westfield): This house is a living history museum, showing life in the 18th century.
Oswald J. Nitschke House (Kenilworth): A historic house in Kenilworth.
Old Baptist Parsonage (Scotch Plains): An old parsonage with historical significance.
William Edgar Reeve House (Westfield): A beautiful historic home in Westfield.
Sayre Homestead (Springfield): Another historic farm in Springfield.
Seventeenth Century Clark House (Clark): One of the oldest houses in the area, dating back to the 1600s!
Nathaniel Smith House (Berkeley Heights): A historic house in Berkeley Heights.
James Townley House (Union): Located on the campus of Kean University, this house has a rich history.
Twin Maples (Summit): A historic home in Summit.
Woodruff House (Hillside): A historic house in Hillside.

Historic Churches and Cemeteries

Many churches and their cemeteries are important because of their age, architecture, or the famous people buried there.

Burial Ground of the Presbyterian Church in the West Fields of Elizabethtown (Westfield): An old cemetery with graves from long ago.
First Congregation of the Presbyterian Church at Springfield (Springfield): This church played a role in the Battle of Springfield during the Revolutionary War.
First Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth: A very old church in Elizabeth.
First Presbyterian Congregation of Connecticut Farms (Union): Another historic church with ties to the Revolutionary War.
Scotch Plains Baptist Church, Parsonage, and Cemetery: This site includes the church, its parsonage, and a cemetery.
Wallace Chapel AME Zion Church (Summit): An important church with a rich history in the community.

Parks and Recreation

Even parks and recreational areas can be historic!

Baltusrol Golf Club (Springfield): This famous golf club has hosted many major golf tournaments. Its courses were designed by a very well-known architect.
Cedar Brook Park (Plainfield): A large park recognized for its design and history.
Green Brook Park (Plainfield): Another historic park in Plainfield.
Reeves-Reed Arboretum (Summit): Originally known as "The Clearing," this beautiful arboretum is a historic landscape.
Union County Park Commission Administration Buildings (Elizabeth): The buildings where the county's park system was managed are also historic.

Transportation and Commercial Sites

Some historic places are important because of how people traveled or did business.

Central Railroad of New Jersey (Fanwood): The Fanwood train station is a historic part of the old railroad system.
Droeschers Mill (Cranford): An old mill that was important for local industry.
Elizabeth Station: The train station in Elizabeth is part of a group of historic railroad stations.
Merchants' and Drovers' Tavern (Rahway): This old tavern was a stop for travelers and merchants long ago.
Mid-Town Historic District (Elizabeth): This district includes important commercial and civic buildings like the Elizabeth Public Library and the Union County Courthouse.
Murray Hill Station: The train station in Murray Hill is also a historic railroad station.
Netherwood Station (Plainfield): Another historic train station in Plainfield.
North Avenue Commercial Historic District (Plainfield): This area shows how businesses used to operate.
Plainfield Station: The main train station in Plainfield, also recognized for its history.
Rahway Theatre: Now known as the Union County Performing Arts Center, this old theater is a historic landmark.
Scotch Plains School: An old school building that served the community.
Stage House Inn (Scotch Plains): An old inn that provided lodging for travelers.
Summit Downtown Historic District: The historic heart of Summit, showing its development as a railroad town.
Summit Playhouse: A historic theater in Summit.
Westfield Fire Headquarters: The main fire station in Westfield, a historic building.

Feltville Historic District

Feltville Historic District (New Providence): This unique district is also known as the "Deserted Village" in the Watchung Reservation. It was once a busy mill town and now looks like a ghost town, offering a fascinating glimpse into the past.

Images for kids

All Souls Church in Plainfield.
Baltusrol Golf Club.
Part of the Belcher-Ogden Mansion-Price, Benjamin-Price-Brittan Houses District.
The Belcher-Ogden House.
Boxwood Hall in Elizabeth.
Burial Ground of the Presbyterian Church in Westfield.
Caldwell Parsonage in Union.
Cedar Brook Park in Plainfield.
Fanwood Station.
Crane-Phillips House in Cranford.
A building in the Crescent Area Historic District.
John De Camp House.
Nathaniel Drake House in Plainfield.
Droeschers Mill.
Elizabeth Station.
Evergreen Cemetery.
A home in the Fanwood Park Historic District.
Houses in the Feltville Historic District.
Firehouse No. 4 in Plainfield.
Elizabeth and Gershom Frazee House.
First Congregation of the Presbyterian Church at Springfield.
First Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth.
Connecticut Farms Presbyterian Church.
Charles N. Fowler House.
Grace Episcopal Church.
Green Brook Park.
Deacon Andrew Hetfield House.
A building in the Hillside Avenue Historic District.
Homestead Farm at Oak Ridge.
Hutchings Homestead.
Littel-Lord Farmstead.
Liberty Hall (William Livingston House).
Merchants' and Drovers' Tavern.
Elizabeth Public Library, part of the Mid-Town Historic District.
Miller-Cory House.
Murray Hill Station.
Netherwood Station.
Oswald J. Nitschke House.
A building in the North Avenue Commercial Historic District.
Old Baptist Parsonage.
Plainfield Central Fire Headquarters.
A building in the Plainfield Civic District.
Plainfield Station.
Rahway Theatre.
William Edgar Reeve House.
Saint Mary's Catholic Church Complex.
Sayre Homestead.
Scotch Plains Baptist Church.
Seventeenth Century Clark House.
Nathaniel Smith House.
St. John's Parsonage.
Stage House Inn.
A house in the Stoneleigh Park Historic District.
George A. Strong House.
Downtown Summit.
Summit Playhouse.
Reeves-Reed Arboretum.
James Townley House.
Twin Maples.
Union County Park Commission Administration Buildings.
A building in the Van Wyck Brooks Historic District.
Wallace Chapel AME Zion Church.
Waring T. Orville House.
Westfield Fire Headquarters.
Whyman House.
Woodruff House.
YWCA of Plainfield and North Plainfield.

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National Register of Historic Places listings in Union County, New Jersey Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.